The present invention relates to a simple electric motor, and more particularly, to an electric motor that can be easily assembled from specially adapted components to provide a structurally secure arrangement that is extremely useful for illustrating basic concepts of electricity and electromagnetic field theory.
In the educational process, it is a well-established tenet that individuals are more prone to gasp and retain a particular concept if they are able to obtain an intuitive understanding of the basic principles underlying the concept. Such an intuitive understanding is often best achieved through use of one's visual sensory perception. This is particularly true in the study of science. For example, it may be difficult for a person to attain a practical understanding of the interaction of magnetic fields solely on the basis of vector diagrams presented in a textbook. Placement of magnets having opposite polarities in close proximity with each other shines a different light on the situation, thus giving students a more thorough and intuitive understanding of the textbook principles.
As a science teacher, it has been my experience that experiments such as the aforementioned one serve as invaluable learning tools. One specific concept that has been difficult to illustrate to students is that of an electric motor. This concept can be demonstrated by science kits that are currently on the market; one exemplary kit called Electro-Magnetix, is disclosed in an instruction book published by Educational Design, Inc. in 1991. With kits such as these, students can play games and perform tricks using an electromagnetic motor. This product, however, has several deficiencies that impede the demonstration of the underlying scientific principles. One primary deficiency is that motor structures constructed with these kits tend to be structurally insecure. That is, they can not be easily moved about or readily manipulated by the students during operation to display a functioning device. It can only be displayed to a very limited number of students at once. Moreover, such kits tend to rely upon an excessive number of component parts that are collectively expensive to manufacture and can be easily misplaced.